Strawberry plant named ‘Dr. Duncan’

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides new and distinct strawberry plant designated as ‘Dr. Duncan’ (a.k.a. ‘108637’).

Latin name of the genus and species: Fragaria x ananassa.

Varietal denomination: ‘Dr. Duncan’ (a.k.a. ‘108637’).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to new and distinct strawberry plant designated as ‘Dr. Duncan’ (a.k.a. ‘108637’).

‘Dr. Duncan’ (a.k.a. ‘108637’) is the result of a controlled-cross made in Nov. 18, 2010 between a female parent cultivar designated ‘107801’ (a.k.a. ‘Akira’) and a male parent cultivar designated ‘1038578’ made by the Inventor and was first fruited in Watsonville, Calif. growing fields. Following selection and during testing, the plant was originally designated ‘108637’ and subsequently named ‘Dr. Duncan’. ‘Dr. Duncan’ is a day-neutral plant.

This new strawberry plant was asexually reproduced via runners (stolons) by the inventor at Watsonville, Calif. Asexual propagules from the original source have been tested in Watsonville growing fields and to a limited extent, grower fields in high elevation. The properties of this plant were found to be transmissible by such asexual reproduction. The plant is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to new and distinctive strawberry plant designated as ‘Dr. Duncan’ (a.k.a. ‘108637’). The plant is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the central coast of California. This region provides the necessary temperatures required for it to produce a strong vigorous plant and to remain in fruit production from March through October. The nearby Pacific Ocean provides the needed humidity and moderate day temperatures and evening chilling to maintain fruit quality for the production months.

‘Dr. Duncan’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions, and the phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment, however with no variance in genotype. The following observations, measurements, and comparisons describe this plant as grown under normal conditions in Watsonville, Calif. unless otherwise noted.

The following traits and photographs in combination distinguish strawberry plant ‘Dr. Duncan’ from known strawberry plants. Plants for the botanical measurements in the present application were grown as annuals. Any color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The plants were 8-month old when the observation was made.

TABLE 1 ‘Dr. Duncan’ Characteristics Characteristic Description General Plant Habit Perennial Plant Growth Habit Semi-upright Day length Day Neutral Planting season Fall Height 29 cm Width 44 cm Density of foliage Medium Plant vigor Moderate Rain/weather tolerance Low to Moderate Harvest Ease Easy Crown diameter 4 cm Fertility Self-fertile Freezing quality moderate Leaf Leaf Shape Concave Leaf blistering weak Leaf glossiness medium Leaf variegation absent Leaflets per leaf 3 Number of leaflets 113 Terminal leaflet width 72 mm Terminal leaflet length 84 mm Terminal leaflet length/width 1.17 ratio Teeth per terminal leaflet 18 to 23 Shape of terminal leaflet Orbicular Shape of the terminal leaflet Acute base Shape of terminal leaflet in Concave cross-section Shape of the terminal leaflet Serrate margin Color of upper side of leaflet RHS 137A Color of lower side of leaflet RHS 137C Terminal leaflet margin flat Leaf blistering Weak Leaf glossiness Medium Leaf variegation Absent Number of leaflets 113 Terminal Leaflet margin Flat Terminal Leaflet shape Orbicular Terminal Leaflet shape of base Acute Terminal Leaflet shape of apex Rounded Leaflets per Leaf 3 Shape of terminal leaflet Orbicular Shape of the terminal leaflet Rounded apex Limbs Petiole length 21 cm Petiole diameter 3.42 mm Petiole pubescence Sparse Petiole pose of hairs Horizontal Petiole color RHS 144A Petiolule length 1.3 cm Petiolule diameter 2.56 mm Petiolule color (color code) RHS 145B Stipule length 3.7 cm Stipule width 1.7 cm Stipule pubescence Medium to Dense Stipule anthocyanin Present Stipule color (color code) RHS 145A Stipule anthocyanin color RHS 184D (color code) Pedicel color (color code) RHS 145A Pedicel length 10.5 cm Pedicel diameter 2.66 mm Attitude of hairs on petiole Slightly Outwards to and pedicel Horizontal Peduncle size Medium to Large Peduncle length 25.5 cm Peduncle diameter 3.71 mm Peduncle color (color code) RHS 145B Peduncle pubescence medium Attitude of hairs on peduncle Slightly outwards to and pedicel horizontal Inflorescence Inflorescence position relative Above to foliage Time of flowering (50% of April plants in bloom) Flower arrangement of petals Touching Flower size Medium to Large Flower diameter 2.5 cm Number of Flowers per Truss 3 to 10 Petal shape Orbicular Petal apex Rounded Petal margin Entire Petal base shape Concave Petal spacing Touching Petal length 1.6 cm Petal width 1.5 cm Petal length/width ratio 1.07 Petal number per flower 5 to 7 Number of flowers 21 to 34 Upper Petal color RHS 155C Lower Petal color RHS 155D Calyx diameter 3.1 to 4.2 cm Corolla diameter 2.5 cm Calyx diameter relative to Larger corolla Inner Calyx diameter relative Equal to outer Sepal shape Ellipitical Sepal apex Convex Sepal margin Entire Sepal number per flower 9 to 15 Sepal length 2 to 2.5 cm Sepal width 1.0 to 1.1 cm Receptacle color RHS 145B Self Fertility Not Tested Time of flowering (50% of April plants in bloom) Shape of stigma Capitate Color of stigma RHS 4A Length of style 2 mm Color of style RHS 12A Color of the ovary RHS 145A Receptacle color RHS 145B Number of stamen 21 to 25 Length of the stamens 2.0 to 3.5 mm Shape of anther Dorsifixed Size of anther 1.5 to 2.0 mm Color of anther RHS 22A Anther diameter 1.2 mm Anther length 1.6 mm Amount of pollen Moderate Color of pollen RHS 13B Color of filament RHS 145C Length of filament 2.0 to 5.0 mm Stolon Stolon number 2 to 3 Stolon anthocyanin RHS 183A Stolon thickness Thin to Moderate Stolon pubescence Heavy Stolon Length 72 cm Widest diameter of stolon at 3.30 mm leaf attachment Stolon color 145B Fruit Fruiting truss length 7.0 to 13.0 cm Fruiting truss diameter 3.76 mm Number of fruit per truss 1 to 7 Shape difference between No difference primary & secondary fruits Fruit calyx diameter 5.9 cm Fruiting truss attitude Horizontal to Slightly Outwards Truss color RHS 145A Fruit length 4.92 cm Fruit width 4.22 cm Fruit skin color RHS 145A Fruit flesh color excluding RHS 44A core Fruit core color RHS 41B Fruit length/width ratio 1.17 Fruit weight 23 g Relative fruit size Medium Predominant fruit shape Globose Conic Shape difference between No Shape Difference primary & secondary fruits Width of band without of Medium achenes Fruit glossiness Medium to Strong Position of achenes Even to Below Surface Achene color RHS 145A Achenes per fruit 325 Achene weight 0.19 g Position of calyx Even Level of adherence of calyx Medium to Strong Color of calyx RHS 136A Pose of calyx segments Spreading to Reflexed Fruit calyx diameter 5.9 cm Size of calyx in relation to Equal to Larger fruit Firmness of flesh Medium Color of the flesh RHS 45A Evenness of flesh color Nearly Even Fruit hollow core length 2.4 cm Fruit hollow core width 0.8 cm Fruit hollow length/width ratio 3.00 Hollow center Medium Sweetness (Brix) 8 Acidity (pH) 3.78 Texture when tasted Fine Time of flowering April Time of fruit ripening May Harvest maturity (50% of May plants with ripe fruit) Type of bearing Day Neutral Grams of fruit per plant 907 g (June) Firmness Firm Surface Texture Smooth Appearance Score (1 to 5 with 4 5 = best) Storage longevity 5 to 10 Days Cull rate: 1- % Usable 10% Yield per plant per season 2.6 kg

‘Albion’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,228) is a commercial strawberry variety that is similar to, but distinguished from ‘Dr. Duncan’. The fruit yield of ‘Dr. Duncan’ exceeds the yield of ‘Albion’ in multiple annual testing cycles performed at the breeders test location in Watsonville Calif. ‘Dr. Duncan’ does not produce large quantities of stolon (runners) during the fruiting period after propagation in California nurseries and Watsonville fruiting field, which saves labor of about $1,500 per acre because stolon must be removed in order to effect efficient harvest and continued flowering. ‘Albion’ produces abundant quantities of stolon that must be cut by hand labor in the fruiting field.

The fruit ‘Dr. Duncan’ is darker in redness coloration than its parent ‘Akira’. The foliage of “Akira” is very dark green compared to the medium green coloration of the foliage of ‘Dr. Duncan’. The foliage and plant structure of parent ‘Akira’ was observed to be more dense than the foliage of ‘Dr. Duncan’.

The foliage and plant structure of the male parent of ‘Dr. Duncan’ was observed to be denser than the foliage of ‘Dr. Duncan’. ‘Dr. Duncan’ has a significantly higher yield and a significantly higher percentage of marketable fruit compared to its male parent. The fruit of ‘Dr. Duncan’ is a much darker red and slightly smaller than the fruit of its female parent.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs depict various characteristics of the cultivars as nearly true as possible to make color reproductions.

FIG. 1 shows ‘Dr. Duncan’ plants growing in the field with inflorescences in mid June about 8-month old.

FIG. 2 shows ‘Dr. Duncan’ plants growing in the field with multiple fruits.

FIG. 3 shows the front side of inflorescences of ‘Dr. Duncan’ plants.

FIG. 4 shows the back side of inflorescences of ‘Dr. Duncan’ plants.

FIG. 5 shows the front side of a leaf of ‘Dr. Duncan’ plants.

FIG. 6 shows the back side of a leaf of ‘Dr. Duncan’ plants.

FIG. 7 shows fruits of ‘Dr. Duncan’ plants.

FIG. 8 shows fruits of ‘Dr. Duncan’ plants cut in half. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant named ‘Dr. Duncan’, substantially as shown and described herein. 